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ROCHESTER — The city of Rochester recently installed two new dual-port electric vehicle chargers downtown, which officials said is an important step toward the city’s goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and promoting sustainable transportation options.
The new dual-port ChargePoint electric vehicle chargers give Rochester residents and visitors access to charging options in two locations — the parking lot east of City Hall and the parking lot east of Main Street, between Second and Third streets.
The new charging stations, city officials said, further the city’s ongoing efforts to promote sustainability and support the use of electric vehicles.
“We know that there will be an increasing demand for charging stations, and there are quite a few electric and electric hybrid cars around here, so we just want to better serve the community,” said Colin Pettitt, of the city of Rochester’s Department of Public Works. “It’s really that simple.”
Finance Director Anthony Moggio said the city’s previous EV chargers — a single charger on the city’s east side, behind Chomp, and a dual port near City Hall — were out of date and in disrepair.
“They just got so old, we couldn’t get parts anymore, and they were breaking, so with the increased usage and direction of having the electric vehicles, we wanted to get some updated systems around here,” he said.
Each new ChargePoint charger can charge two vehicles at a time, making it easier for drivers to access charging stations even during peak usage hours. Depending on the vehicle, the ChargePoint systems supply about 24 miles of range per hour of charging at a fee of $1.50 an hour.
“Since we got them up and running, the average session length is 1 hour and 20 minutes,” Moggio said.
The ChargePoint chargers are also equipped with advanced features such as remote access, real-time charging status updates and automatic billing. Users can track their charging sessions, pay for their usage and receive notifications when their vehicles are fully charged.
The move will cost the city $100 per month for each dual port — including repairs in 24 hours or less — over the five-year contract with ChargePoint. A single dual port unit, not including repair service, would have cost the city approximately $20,000 per unit.
The city purchased a Chevy Bolt in 2020 for use by city staff, and Moggio said the city will continue to explore options to expand the use of electric vehicles in the city’s fleet. Staff, he said, will also assess the usage and need for more charging stations throughout the city in the future.
“We are always trying to focus on sustainability and being as green as we can be,” Moggio added.
For more information about the new dual-port ChargePoint electric vehicle chargers, visit www.chargepoint.com/help or contact Rochester’s Department of Environmental Services at (585) 428-5990.
